Imphal, March 03: While welcoming the decision of the State Cabinet to extend Retirement Benefits scheme/pensions to the employees of Autonomous District Councils and to recruit 287 teachers for the same, the All Tribal Students Union, Manipur (ATSUM) said that these two points are the long standing demand of the tribal people which have been wholeheartedly supported and endorsed by ATSUM for the last two years.

The assistant secretary of the student body Thomas Taishya urged the Government to respond to other demands before March 25 failing which they will resume agitations.

According to ATSUM there are some basic issues related to hill education.

Some of the points are-to make the Additional Director (Hills) office functional, fill up vacant posts and to provide adequate infrastructure in all hills schools including Mathematic and Science teachers recruitment on intitutional basis giving preferences to the local candidates.

The mode of recruitment thus take place under ZEOs as the Chairman of recruitement Board or Director as Chairman and ZEOs as member secretary.

The assistant general secretary further demanded the grant-in-aid for schools in the hill areas be converted into full fledged Government schools and at the same time releasing 'white paper'on verification of teachers of the hills.

On higher education the student body pointed out the need to make the speical cell for SC/ST students in Manipur University fully functional and to take initiative for the establishment of a Hill University.

The appointment system of adhoc/casual/muster roll/work charge/part time etc should be stopped unless it complies with reservation norms.

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